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Post by thetechnobear on Jan 7, 2019 12:37:16 GMT
Huh? where is your oscillator? Theme: create sound from a module which is not an oscillator. Background: many modules in an AEM rack other than oscillators can be coerced into making sound, this expands our palette of sounds, experiment see which modules you can make squeak. Hint: you might want to use an oscillator to drive other modules. Submission window: Monday 7th Jan -> Monday 14th Jan (23:59:59)
Submissions should be made in this thread within the submission window above. Each entry should contain:- Link to audio or video example (embedded preferred)
- Short (or not so short) patch notes, explaining how you have built on the above theme
Your entry can be as short/long as you wish, a simple sound or a track, use external fx or synths, do what you can in the time you have - go wild, make the challenge yours! You are welcome to use previous entries, as inspiration, build on them to form something new, or just use in a different way. Everyone is actively encouraged to comment on entries , provide feedback and ideas... you are welcome to co continue commenting/discussing outside of the submission window. the more we discuss the more we all learn
this is part of the weekly patch challenge series - if you would like more information, or have ideas for the challenge, please post on the weekly patch challenge thread.
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Post by NightMachines on Jan 7, 2019 20:46:53 GMT
Sweet! Thanks for putting the threads together  I’ll go ahead and post an entry later this week! Looking forward to what we all come up with!
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Post by ecleinjr on Jan 8, 2019 10:23:15 GMT
Oh dope I’m gonna try to get mine submitted by that deadline. Glad to see you guys still running the forum 😎
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Post by thetechnobear on Jan 10, 2019 23:19:46 GMT
I did a quick track with (shaky) video as I was messing with some ideas/software which I wanted to test out and this seemed like a good opportunity. but feel free to just upload audio samples if you wish, whatever you have time for
This short track uses AE modular to create a bass line that uses an envelope as a sound source! (bass line is heard throughout, but most obvious during intro and end) The basic idea is that an envelope can be triggered at 'audio rate' via its gate input, and output is then an audio waveform that can be shaped using the envelopes shaping parameters (attack/decay). to add more variation, I used two square wave oscillators (2OSC) to drive gate 1 and 2, the oscillators were at different frequencies, and I also modulated the pulse width with an LFO. other sounds are coming from my eurorack modular. some FX added in Ableton. the video is just a handheld iPhone video of the gear used, and some visuals generated on the C&G Organelle. Its only 720p as im testing out Lightworks as a video editor for the first time 
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bert
Junior Member

Posts: 54
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Post by bert on Jan 12, 2019 21:37:53 GMT
My first idea was also to use an envelope generator to shape an input signal, just like thetechnobear did. But I wasn't sure if that was cheating or not. Because if you think about it you are basically creating a kind of filter with the envelope generator. Not a conventional filter, but still. So I went on looking for a way to create an audible signal from scratch, using no oscillators at all.
First I thought about feedback. You can create a feedback loop with the delay. Just connect any output to the input, wait a few seconds and play a bit with the knobs. The signal isn't very musical though, and you can only produce high-pitched sounds. I wanted to try a bass sound.
Then kind of by accident I discovered that you can create sound by connecting the filter (wasp type) to the beat divider. The filter doesn't need an input, just turn all the knobs all the way to the right and take any of the outputs and connect it to the beat divider's clock. You can then control the pitch with the "div" knob. Shape the output a bit with a filter and voila.
If you want to make a pulse instead of a square wave you can use the binary divider and the logic module.
The sound that I managed to create with this wasn't super interesting, but I'll post a short audio fragment tomorrow. I'll also add a complete patch diagram.
This is fun! And educational too. Great idea 
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Post by admin on Jan 13, 2019 0:51:41 GMT
I'm glad I didn't watch the thetechnobear entry before working on mine or I would have been intimidated into silence .. it's awesome! Anyway ... here is my entry and also my very first video on Youtube. The core of my patch is the Nyle Filter which is self resonating and creating most sounds. I then modulate the filter cutoff with the SEQ16 and the resonance with the VCO. I then mix a few different pathways of this before sending it all to the MultiFX reverb. Channel 1 is the Nyle being sent through the Wasp filter which is modulated by an envelope, this is a more percussive bass sound. Channel 2 is the Nyle filter going through the wavefolder but not amplitude modulated so it's more of a drone. This is also which reacts most to the frequency change of the VCO. Channel 3 is the Nyle filter going through a percussive VCA+ENV modulation and then to the Delay module for the "Berlin School" sound that I really like. Channel 4 is just some Noise that I'm turning on and off using a VCA, the Logic Gate and the TRIQ164, the "double tap" was purely accidental  The video is a bit long as I'm still finding my way around things and I also get lost in the myriad tiny variations of the sound that you can generate with only minuscule adjustments on the knobs. I practiced this performance a number of times and every time I found something different!
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Post by thetechnobear on Jan 13, 2019 11:57:18 GMT
My first idea was also to use an envelope generator to shape an input signal, just like thetechnobear did. But I wasn't sure if that was cheating or not. Because if you think about it you are basically creating a kind of filter with the envelope generator. I agree in some ways perhaps this is a wave-shaper... rather than an oscillator, as its doesn't self oscillate. I think we should feel free to bend the rules on all challenges, it helps expand the possibilities which otherwise might be quite narrow... that was the reason I posted early, I knew its was bending things a bit, but wanted to demonstrate thats ok. I think everyone should feel free to be liberal with the theme, there is no right or wrong interpretation, take it in the direction you want to go... if you come up with something you find interesting, then thats the ultimate goal also a reminder for others, feel free to expand on ideas that are already shown... Ive no doubt that many peoples first thoughts on hearing the challenge was to use an envelope, being 'first' does not mean I own the idea, nor necessarily explored it fully! ( nor does my video clearly did demonstrate the range of possibilities, as i chose a finished track this time around)
anyway I look forward to hearing what you can come up with, sounds like you have some interesting ideas. I'm glad I didn't watch the thetechnobear entry before working on mine or I would have been intimidated into silence .. it's awesome! glad you liked it. yeah, I was concerned about posting something too 'finished', this is partly because Ive a personal challenge for 2019 to create more finished tracks, so this felt like an opportunity to do this, however, I want to encourage everyone one to participate, in any way they have time for, be it a snippet of a sound that just shows an idea, to a track on soundcloud, or a youtube video - whatever you are inclined/have time for. cool, I enjoyed this, there were some nice sounds in there, and I really enjoyed the way you explored the variations and possibilities on camera, as you say, its always surprising how little changes have quite big impact on the end results. btw: I also liked the camera angle, was really clear, Im amazed that you can see the patching points so clearly... and its funny, the wide angle, makes it look twice the length of my rack anyway, top job... definitely going to go and try these myself
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Post by NightMachines on Jan 13, 2019 12:35:11 GMT
Here's my entry, done very quickly and last minute! I'm not using any VCOs, LFOS, self-resonating filters or external signals. The clock is generated by feeding a very short decay ENV into the Lofi Delay (short delay time, no feedback) and then form its WET output back into the Gate 1 input of the ENV. This creates a feedback loop with the envelope triggering itself after a short delay. Then I use this short envelope as a clock trigger for the SEQ16, DIVIDER, etc. The SEQ16 pitch CV is sent into the audio input of the SVFilter as well as its CV1 input. In the audio input, the signal "pings" the filter at various amplitudes (lower pitch CV pings it less loud than higher pitch CV) and in the CV1 input, the cutoff frequency is opened further with with pitch CV than with lower one. This makes loud pings higher pitched too. The bass drum ist the LOPAG lowpass gate. Both signals are mixed together and sent through the Wavefolder and Nyle filter and then back into the mixer for a first feedback loop and through the Wasp filter for a second feedback loop. The SEQ16 pitch CV, DIVIDER and two more ENVs add modulation. This was a fun experiment and with a little more time and thought it could be developed into a more varied performance 
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Post by thetechnobear on Jan 13, 2019 20:49:07 GMT
Nice one Felix, pinging the filters does have a really nice sound to them, quite 'liquid' at times. I also like the idea of using the delay in a feedback loop with the envelope to create a clock source... I wonder if this approach could be extended/modified to get a slight more chaotic pulse stream - something to experiment with
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Post by admin on Jan 13, 2019 20:59:07 GMT
btw: I also liked the camera angle, was really clear, Im amazed that you can see the patching points so clearly... and its funny, the wide angle, makes it look twice the length of my rack anyway, top job... definitely going to go and try these myself You are right, my case is indeed wider than normal! Robert sent me one of the early prototypes of the extra wide case which is 22 units wide instead of 16. It’s great to fit more modules into one case but I also have to use the longer patch cables frequently. Please post another challenge soon, this is fun and really helps me thinking out of the box!
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Post by NightMachines on Jan 13, 2019 21:09:45 GMT
I also like the idea of using the delay in a feedback loop with the envelope to create a clock source... I wonder if this approach could be extended/modified to get a slight more chaotic pulse stream - something to experiment with I guess if one used the delay‘s CV input to modulate the delay time it could work. However the looping trigger pulse can be lost easily when changing the delay time, so it might take some fiddling and/or amplification to find a good sweet spot where the loop keeps looping. With the new ENV module though, with its CV-controllable rise and fall times and the end of cycle trigger, this can probably be done super easy, without the need to use the Lofi Delay at all.
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bert
Junior Member

Posts: 54
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Post by bert on Jan 13, 2019 23:26:50 GMT
thetechnobear Yeah I agree with all your points. I would maybe have expanded on that initial idea but wasn't really able to add anything valuable to it, and felt like exploring some other ideas anyway. My patch is not nearly as exciting as the videos shown above. I deliberately kept it basic so that people (including total beginners like myself) can easily understand and recreate it if they want. It's basically just the self-resonating wasp filter connected to the beat divider to create a square wave like I did yesterday, but this time instead of making it an audio rate signal I chose to use it as a trigger signal to drive a band-pass wasp filter and relying on the filter's resonance to make it audible. The filter is followed by a wavefolder. Then the extras: with the binary divider and the logic module I turn the square wave from the beat divider into a slightly more interesting pattern. An LFO modulates the filter frequency. And finally I added a bit of delay. I couldn't attach the recording (too big) so I put it in my Dropbox for now. What's the recommended way of doing this? Will add diagram tomorrow.
EDIT: Diagram is attached now.
* AE_FILTER 1: freq = 220° | cv1 = 40° | resonance = 320° * AE_BEATDIVIDER: div = 40° * AE_FILTER 2: freq = 120° | cv1 = 110° | resonance = 265° * AE_WAVEFOLDER: drive = 320° | shape = 180° | shapecv = 270° * AE_DELAY: delaytime = 100° | feedback = 270° | drywet = 120° * AE_LFO: timerange = SLOW | shape = TRIANGLE | rate = 40° - AE_FILTER 1 (hp) -> AE_BEATDIVIDER (clk) - AE_BEATDIVIDER (outa) c> AE_DIVIDER (clk) - AE_DIVIDER (1) g> AE_LOGIC (1a) - AE_DIVIDER (2) g> AE_LOGIC (1b) - AE_DIVIDER (32) g> AE_LOGIC (2a) - AE_LOGIC (xor1) g> AE_LOGIC (2b) - AE_LOGIC (xor2) g> AE_FILTER 2 (in) - AE_FILTER 2 (bp) -> AE_WAVEFOLDER (in) - AE_WAVEFOLDER (out) -> AE_DELAY (in) - AE_FILTER 2 (hp) -> AE_FILTER 1 (in) - AE_LFO (triangle) >> AE_FILTER 2 (cv1) - AE_DELAY (out) -> AE_MIXER44 (a1) - AE_LFO (triangle) >> AE_DELAY (cv) Attachments:
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Post by admin on Jan 14, 2019 8:43:42 GMT
It's basically just the self-resonating wasp filter connected to the beat divider to create a square wave like I did yesterday, but this time instead of making it an audio rate signal I chose to use it as a trigger signal to drive a band-pass wasp filter and relying on the filter's resonance to make it audible. The filter is followed by a wavefolder. Then the extras: with the binary divider and the logic module I turn the square wave from the beat divider into a slightly more interesting pattern. An LFO modulates the filter frequency. And finally I added a bit of delay. Very clever and sounds really nice! I'll have to try this. I couldn't attach the recording (too big) so I put it in my Dropbox for now. What's the recommended way of doing this? I think that works OK. Soundcloud is a good option for audio files and integrates well into the forum. I prefer YouTube. I just learned to use Shotcut, which is an open source video editor and is quite easy to use with lots of tutorials available on YouTube.
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Post by thetechnobear on Jan 14, 2019 10:04:13 GMT
interesting stuff bert , definitely will play with that... Ive got into a bad habit of always doing things like osc->shaping->filter, really should try more osc->filter->shaping, and generally messing with filters more hmm these challenges end up with a lot of followup homework Id echo admin , for sound/music - soundcloud is probably the easiest, for video - YouTube or Vimeo, then when using the forums post editor, you can use the insert video or insert audio option and it will embed.
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Post by arti on Mar 4, 2019 1:39:52 GMT
This task was fun! Oh, and this Nyle filter is a curious beast  Modules used: LFO as a clock for SQ16 and as the modulator for Wasp Filter SQ16 CV/Gate/Accent outputs as the modulators fot three CV inputs of Nyle Filter There were two Nyle filter outputs. One went via Mixer to Spring Reverb and to Master audio1, the other went to Delay, then it's Wet output to the Wasp Filter and finaly it's LP output to Master audio2. Knobs abused: CV2 and Resonance on Nyle, Wasp's Freq and CV1, Delay's Feedback and Reverb's Dry/Wet 
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Post by Morn Valley on Nov 24, 2020 17:37:09 GMT
Hello All! Here's my first entry in this series. I used the envelope generator and patched end of cycle into gate input. The Seq8 was used to sequence the decay and create different pitches. The rest of the patch is just a VCA and Filter with Delay added. There's some slight noise underneath but I reckon this my dodgy Behringer UCA202... http://instagr.am/p/CH-1tenhUH7
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Post by slowscape on Nov 25, 2020 22:16:07 GMT
Nice work! That was really musical even without an osc!
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Post by pt3r on Jan 17, 2021 12:49:30 GMT
I know I'm late to the party but I thought that these patch challenges can help me to hone my patching skills. This is my humble contribution using the SEQ8 as the only sound source The clock signals are coming from 2 square wave oscillators I had to use oscillator to clock the sequencer since it has to run at high speed to produce a sound.
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Post by moruial on Jan 18, 2021 10:36:55 GMT
Very nice track, I like the mood!
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pol
Wiki Editors
Posts: 1,192
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Post by pol on Oct 17, 2021 11:20:10 GMT
This is not a piece of music, just a video straight from the phone about PC1....
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